


A Harebrained Holiday

by Oricalle



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Drabble, F/F, Fluff, alcohol mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 01:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30081333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oricalle/pseuds/Oricalle
Summary: With the day of the Spring Festival fast approaching, stoic Minerva is desperate to match her girlfriend's typical holiday cheer.Desperate enough to come to Camilla for advice.
Relationships: Minerva/Paora | Palla
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	A Harebrained Holiday

It wasn’t as if Minerva didn’t _like_ festivals.

Though Macedon was not the most joyous land in Archanea, even the famously hardy dwellers of the Iotian Peaks could have a little fun. She had attended a fair amount of balls and galas in her time as Princess and Queen of her homeland, and now that she lived in Askr, things had only become livelier. Still, the mixed traditions and celebrations of so many worlds created what felt like an endless parade of revelry in the Order’s home castle, and she found the flippancy slightly...disagreeable. 

She was standing in the center of what was meant to be a training ground, and over the past year alone she’d seen it filled with carved pumpkins, three-tiered-snow-golems, and even on one occasion an entire hot-spring. Even opposed as the Order was by countless foes, it never seemed to find sufficient reason to stop a party.

So, Minerva thought, she had earned the right to be somewhat cross with the towering multicolored egg statue that was taking up a large portion of her favorite sparring spot. Her favorite sparring partner, clad in a ridiculous rabbit costume, evidently disagreed.

“Minervy-kins…” Camilla cooed, putting her hands on her hips as she walked towards her. “Why the long face, darling?”

Minerva’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps it’s because my training opponent is dressed like a woodland creature. The festival isn’t for three days!”

Giggling, Camilla shook her head. “Oh, but dear, it’s already springtime! Winter is over now, so you don’t need to keep giving everyone the cold shoulder.”

“Amusing.” Minerva replied, reaching for the wooden axe that lay at her side. As she lifted it into a defensive position, Camilla shook her head, leaving her own training weapon aimed pointedly at the dirt below.

“Not yet~.” Camilla taunted. She had the sort of grin on that Minerva had learned meant she was already enjoying herself. “I wanted to ask you something.”

“You may.” She was already bracing herself for what lay ahead.

“What are you and Palla planning for your fun festival date?”

Minerva blinked. It was a simple question, but knowing Camilla, likely deceptively so.

“We haven’t made plans together for the festival.” 

A hand flew to Camilla’s mouth as she gasped, her bunny ears set to a wobble from the sheer force of the gesture. Minerva responded with a shrug.

“Palla likes to spend the day on the festival grounds with her sisters.”

“Oh, I know that!” Camilla crossed her arms, looking about as upset as she could while dressed as a bipedal rabbit. “I saw her last year! Your lovely lady makes for an absolutely adorable little bunny, Minerva!”

“Be that as it may…” Minerva replied, trying to fight back the blush threatening to creep its way onto her cheeks, “I have important business to attend to on the date of the Spring Festival.”

“What “business” could possibly pull you away from such a thing?”

“Weapon and armor maintenance.”

Admittedly, even Minerva knew how dull those words sounded as they left her mouth. Across from her, Camilla rolled her eyes.

“Now Minervy-dear, I’m a single woman, but doesn’t your wonderful girlfriend deserve a bit more attention than a rusty old axe?”

“Hauteclere is _not_ rusty.” Despite her indignance, Minerva was a reasonable woman, and even she had to admit she was quickly losing this argument (Was it an argument? With Camilla it was often difficult to tell.)

With a shrug of her shoulders and a sigh, Camilla raised her weapon. “Well then, I suppose my curiosity is sated. Let’s get to it, then!”

It wasn’t as if Minerva _hated_ losing.

Admittedly, she was competitive, some would argue to a fault, but she certainly didn’t have an ego about it. When a skilled combatant bested her, it had always been Minerva’s policy to take it as a learning opportunity rather than a personal slight.

However, as a pommel to the gut knocked the breath out of her and she collapsed backwards onto the ground below, she couldn’t help but feel aggravated watching her opponent towering over her. 

It was, almost certainly, because of the bunny costume.

Reaching an arm down, Camilla helped pull her back onto her feet. The Nohrian’s typical smirk was surprisingly gone, a raised eyebrow and a frown in its place.

“Are you feeling alright?”

Minerva stumbled forward, shaking her head as she rose once again to her full height. “It’ll take more than a blow like that to keep me down.”

“Oh, I know that.” Camilla leaned on her axe as she buried the wooden blade into the dirt. “It’s just that you usually don’t give me such easy wins, darling.”

Minerva grumbled, but had no cogent response prepared.

“You seem distracted.” Camilla continued. 

As humiliating as it was to admit, Minerva relented.

“You got me thinking about the festival.” She sighed, letting her weapon tumble to the ground. “It’s something that makes Palla very happy. She doesn’t let her guard down for much, even in front of me. So I want to help celebrate that.”

Camilla made a sound halfway between a laugh and a squeal. “Aww! I knew it! Underneath all that clunky armor, you’re just so sweet, aren’t you? Palla’s the luckiest Hero around to have someone like you! Why, if I were her, I’d-”

“Alright, alright, that’s enough.” Taking a moment to push the sweaty hair out of her eyes, she stared once more at the obnoxiously colorful egg statue. “I’m just not used to this sort of thing, I’m afraid. I don’t know what to do to make it any more special for her.”

As her eyes met Camilla’s once again, she noticed that the other woman’s expression had changed. Her full, catlike smile had finally made its appearance, and the look on her face reminded Minerva of a wyvern about to devour its prey. A string of rather worrying giggles poured from her as she began to rub her gloves together.

“Oh, sweetie.” she drawled, taking a languid step forward. “Are you coming to little-old-me for help on making a very special day for Palla?”

Though she knew she’d regret it, Minerva gave a nod.

“I am.”

Camilla chuckled.

“I know _just_ the thing…”

It wasn’t as if Palla was _lonely_. How could she have been, with the joyous Spring Festival surrounding her and her sisters by her side? Well, by her side figuratively, at least. Est was off helping some of the younger Askran townsfolk paint eggs near the castle entry, and Catria was already starting to drink off the memory of wearing the bunny costume for another year at the tavern, but _still_.

She was more than capable of keeping herself entertained until one of them returned. Until then, she decided, she would simply have to enjoy the sunny skies and pleasant sounds of the Castle Askr gardens.

“Oh, Pally-dear!”

Surprised, she turned to see Princess Camilla beckoning to her from the side of one of the garden sheds. She was wearing her usual Spring Festival outfit, and waving to Palla to come closer. Curious, she complied, walking over to the shed as she returned the gesture.

“Good afternoon, Princess Camilla.” Though she was acquainted with Camilla already, it still struck Palla as rude to forgo her proper title, even though Camilla herself disagreed. If the honorific bothered her today, however, she didn’t show it, looking as if she was practically about to burst from excitement.

“Palla, darling, I have a wonderful surprise for you!”

Palla tilted her head, the tips of her bunny ears scraping against the wooden shed. “A surprise?”

With a grand flourish, Camilla took a wide step to the side, gesturing with outstretched arms at the corner of the shed.

There was nothing there, and Palla briefly wondered if this was some sort of bizarre Nohrian prank she wasn’t understanding.

However, before she could speak up, someone stepped out from behind the building.

There, wearing a pair of scarlet tights and a bright-crimson top bedecked with floral accents, stood Princess Minerva of Macedon. A white hat complete with flared bunny ears completed the ensemble, and Palla felt her mouth fall open as she watched the Red Dragoon’s cheeks start to live up to her name.

“Minerva?!” she gasped, eyes wide at her girlfriend’s uncharacteristically festive wear. 

Still blushing, Minerva took another step out from behind her cover. She gave Camilla a look, and as the other woman nodded excitedly, she met Palla’s gaze with her own.

“...Happy...erm…” Minerva winced, took a deep breath, and started over. “... _Hoppy_ Spring Festival, Palla.”

As Camilla burst into laughter and applause, Palla lunged forward and pulled Minerva into a hug, smiling as she embraced her.

“Commander Minerva...I can’t believe you’re here!”

Regaining her composure, a small smile rose to Minerva’s face as she broke the hug.

“I know how important these celebrations are to you, Palla. The least that I could do is show a little of that same enthusiasm in return.”

“I’m honored.” Palla replied, taking in the sheer totality of Minerva’s outfit once more. “This...this is...a lot!”

As Camilla’s cackle rose in pitch, Minerva rolled her eyes. “You know I’m not one to do anything by halves, dear. Though perhaps I should be more selective with my sources of fashion advice in the future.”

Palla giggled, embracing Minerva once more.

“Well, you two, I hear that there’s a festival that’s short three bunnies!” Motioning for them to follow, Camilla started back towards the main garden path. “Hop along now!”

With a grumble, Minerva acquiesced, taking a deep breath before following behind.

To her surprise, Palla burst into laughter behind her.

“I-I’m sorry, Minerva!” she said, “It’s just...the little _tail_!”

Minerva sighed. It was true, perhaps, that festive decor and novelty costumes weren’t her favorite things in all the worlds.

Palla, however, was. And that made all the difference.

**Author's Note:**

> Super Secret Author's Notes:
> 
> \- "oh no i need a name for a location in macedon! eh, i'll just put Iote's name into something, they named everything after that guy."  
> \- I really like the idea of Castle Askr having these extremely extra holiday celebrations.
> 
> Well, folks, we're getting Bunny Minerva tomorrow. She's a big favorite of mine, so I'm willing to let Heroes slide for not granting us a Laegjarn alt this time. ("next time for sure!", they said, clownishly)
> 
> I had this silly idea for a one-shot based on that concept, and I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out. I really like the Minerva and Camilla dynamic that I started playing around with in Broken Blade, so this was one I definitely enjoyed writing. I haven't done much with Palla's PoV in the past, so it was also very nice to get to try a little bit of that! Hopefully I'll find occasion to do so again in the future.
> 
> Feedback is very welcome! I'm always hoppy to receive and reply to comments, and you can find me on Twitter @Oricalle.
> 
> Thank you for reading, and have a wonderful day!


End file.
